“Well it’s better than always telling others what to do,” the quartermaster returned.
“Fine, keep eating poorly and get gout, if you like,” the doctor muttered.
“Honestly,” the captain said with a sigh. “Were you bickering the whole time I was away as well? Whatever am I going to do with the two of you?”
“Sorry, Captain,” the doctor muttered. The quartermaster offered a quiet apology as well, just as Jeremy returned with a tray full of teacups and a steaming pot.
“Can I do anything else, Aunty?” he asked the captain.
“Yes, sit down and have a cup of tea,” she said, turning him around to sit on her knee. “You’ve been working hard all morning, and you deserve a rest.”
Jeremy smiled and instantly helped himself to a sugar-dusted cookie. Twist marveled at the casual and comfortable quality of the crew as they began to chat with their guests. Perhaps it had been all of the time spent surrounded by strange magical creatures, but Twist found himself relaxing easily in the company of his own kind. It certainly helped that he found the tea to be especially delicious. When Aden arrived a little while later, Twist and his companions greeted him warmly.
“I swear,” Aden said, shaking his head. “Those dragons are the most stubborn creatures in the world.”
Twist shuddered at the sound of the word “dragon.” His friends had been so conscientious about not saying it that he was now startled by his reaction to hearing it again. He wondered how long he would have to continue to endure this strange effect, but realized swiftly that he had no real idea. Myra rubbed at his back soothingly, numbing the feeling on his skin as it ebbed away.
“I’ve tried everything I could think of to get even one of them to stay or to share any of their magic and technology with me,” Aden went on, taking his glasses off for a moment to rub at his eyes. “And as far as I can tell, this Zéphyrin character really is the only one staying behind. I’ll need a full report from you, Blue, as soon as you can.”
“You’ve got it, sir,” Skye said with a nod. “I’ll get on that just as soon as I get some paper and a pen.”
“Thank you,” Aden responded. “And as for you three,” he said, turning to Twist, Jonas, and Myra, “you’ve had more contact with these creatures than anyone else. If I could implore you to make me a report as well, I’d been very grateful.”
“That sounds like work,” Jonas sneered.
“I can’t write in your language,” Myra said unhappily.
“Would you at least let Skye interview you?” Aden asked hopefully.
“I guess…” Jonas muttered with a shrug.
“Thank you,” Aden said. “Honestly, I’m not sure where else to turn. I gather that the minihuni might know something. You know, I may be able to get them to speak with me if I remain here in Hawaii for a while.”
“The what?” Twist asked.
“Oh, the minihuni,” Aden answered. “They’re the local hidden people. I wonder if the king and queen might be able to introduce me to them…” he said thoughtfully.
“The king and queen of the hidden people?” Twist asked, starting to feel a bit confused by this conversation.
“No, the king and queen of Hawaii,” Aden said with a smile. “They’re human.”
“Is the king a sort of round little fellow?” Jonas asked with a thoughtful frown. “Likes to wear military garb and is easily pleased by novelty?”
“I have no idea,” Aden answered. “I’ve never met him.”
“Ahh…” Jonas remarked. Twist and the others looked to him curiously.
“Why do you ask?” Aden asked.
“No reason,” Jonas muttered with a shrug. “But you might want to check and see if he’s got a lot of clocks at his palace. Just saying…”
“Did you have a vision again?” Twist asked.
Jonas’s eyes flitted toward him uneasily. “Maybe.”
“Really?” Aden asked, sounding fascinated. “What did you see?”
“Nothing,” Jonas grumbled. “I don’t know. It was just a little one.” Everyone else continued to watch him intently, waiting for him to say more, while the silence began to stretch. “Look, I saw Twist and Aden talking to some little round fellow with brown skin, in a military costume, in a garden full of palm trees,” Jonas grumbled, finally relenting. “They were talking about Twist fixing all of his clocks in return for something. I don’t know who the fellow was, but the area looked tropical, and when you mentioned wanting to meet the king and queen of Hawaii, it just made me think of it. Just check and see if the king has a lot of clocks. It might be something totally else. I really can’t tell.”
“When did you get this vision?” Twist asked him.
Jonas gave Twist an ungrateful look. “A while ago. I don’t know.”
“That’s incredible,” Skye said, looking at Jonas in awe. “Do you have visions like that all the time? Why don’t you ever say anything about it?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Jonas muttered, looking away.
“Well, thank you for sharing,” Aden said happily to Jonas. “I will check on that.”
“I hope I do get to fix a load of clocks,” Twist mentioned brightly. “That sounds lovely.”
“After all the work you just did, you want to work more?” Skye asked with a frown.
“Clock mending is wonderfully relaxing,” Twist responded with a smile.
“Like when you were fixing all of Zéphyrin’s clocks,” Jonas said, a smile beginning to creep onto his face. “That really did put you at ease.”
“Exactly like that,” Twist answered.
“The royal palace is in Honolulu,” Skye said with growing excitement. “And I’ve got a week of vacation time that you’re always telling me to take,” she said, pointing to Aden. “And you haven’t taught me how to surf yet,” she said, pointing to Jonas. “And Honolulu is pretty close to the beach.”
“Oh, how lovely!” Myra exclaimed, clapping her hands. “We can all have a nice vacation together, and Twist can enjoy working on clocks.”
“Sounds like our fates are sealed,” Jonas said with a grin.
“I can’t argue with anyone’s point,” Aden said happily. “I’ll send a messenger over to O’ahu tonight.”
Twist could scarcely believe his own excitement at the thought of such a calming and understandable future. After being inundated with bizarre and powerful magical beings for so long, purely human company seemed luxurious. He could hardly wait to leave.
Congratulations!
You've just finished the fifth book in the Clockwork Twist series, you intrepid darling, you. I think we all deserve a restful vacation, after all of that. But Twist and his friends will be off again soon, on another grand adventure, in Book Six: Blood, coming in 2017...
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The Clockwork Twist Series thus far:
Book One: Waking
Book Two: Trick
Book Three: Dreamer
Book Four: Missing
Book Five: Inquest
Book Six: Blood (2017)
Inquest Page 27